267 



Genus NYCTICORAX. 



Ardea apud Brisson, Orn. v. p. 412 (1760) 

 Nycticorax, Stephens in Shaw's Gen. Zool. xi. p. 609 (1819). 

 Nyctiardea apud Swainson, Classif. of B. ii. p. 355 (1837). 

 Nycterodius apud Macgillivray, Man. Brit. B. ii. p. 127 (1842). 



The Night-Herons inhabit the Palsearctic, Ethiopian, Oriental, Australian, Nearctic, and Neo- 

 tropical Regions, only one species being found in the Western Palsearctic Region. 



The Night-Herons are tolerably closely allied to the Bitterns, but are of a more robust 

 build, and more active in their general habits. They frequent the neighbourhood of water ; for 

 they feed on fish, reptiles, and aquatic insects. They climb amongst the dense aquatic herbage 

 and the branches of trees with great ease, and frequently rest perched on the top of a high tree. 

 Their flight is soft and noiseless ; but though sedate, it is tolerably swift ; and their note is a harsh 

 croak. They are about both by day and by night, and are said to search after food often all 

 through the night. 



They construct their nests of twigs lined with aquatic plants, fine roots, &c, and deposit 

 blue eggs. The nests are placed either on trees or bushes, or amongst dense reed-thickets. 



Nycticorax griseus, the type of the genus, has the bill scarcely longer than the head, stout, 

 nearly straight, the upper mandible curved gradually to the tip, which is acute ; nostrils linear ■ 

 wings broad and full, the first quill about equal to the fourth, the second and third nearly equal ; 

 tail short, even ; legs long, rather stout ; tibia bare for about one fourth of its length ; tarsus 

 anteriorly scutellate; toes long, scutellate; claws moderately long, slightly curved, acute, that 

 on the middle toe serrated on the inner edge ; plumage soft, full, feathers on the occiput long, 

 narrow, forming a pendent crest. 



m 



